Les Arcs Season Thread. (Where you can ask questions on Les Arcs , La Plagne or chat)

Yesterday we made it to Mont Albert and one last lunch at the Forperet. Did not have to walk once on the way there on the La Plagne side until we reached the road 200m above the restaurant. Great meal as always, they still make the best omelettes in the paradiski in my opinion. They even gave us all a ride back up to the road in there minibus as the tractor was broken this time.

The pistes on the Les Arcs side are still ok in the Arc 2000 bowl with only a few bare patches, hard and frozen in the morning after the night time re-freeze and soft and slushy lower down with nice spring snow higher up in the afternoon once the sun has been at the slopes for a while. Keep following the sun and you can still have a good days skiing.

However going down to the Vanoise Express in Peisey or to Vallandry is now very difficult and you must walk in places or down lift. The links from Les Coches into the main la Plagne section are still open until the end of this weekend, but you must walk the final 200m to the Gondola. You can still reach the VE without walking on the way back just. We were also able to get right down to Plagne 1800 Chair lift on the way to Mont Albert, but on the return you must walk in various places at Plagne 2000 and Plagne Centre. The La Plagne side is now looking as worn lower down as Les Arcs and the best place to go there is now the Bellecote Glacier area.

The piste back down to Arc 1800 is also closed so you must go down on the Transarc from the middle station. From this coming weekend only the Arc 2000 bowl will remain open with just the Transarc from Arc 1800 running plus the free shuttle buses from 1800, Arc 1600 and the funicular from Bourg St Maurice.

Please check my facebook group daily for further updates. Link below.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134900026541300&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=134900026541300&v=wall

Thank you Snowcrazy for all the reports from Paradiski and other places.
I have found a great deal of pleasure in reading them all season and, even though I haven't been to Les Arcs for a number of years, it has brought back fond memories as you have talked of skiing in various places and the ever changing snow and piste conditions as the season has progressed.
Thanks again.
:thumbup:

OldAndy, pleased you have enjoyed reading the posts. Still one more week to go.


The sun shone and there was little wind for most of the day. Today we were in Les Arcs and covered all the areas that are still open. Even though you cannot get down to Arc 1800, 1600, Pre St Esprit or Peisey Vallandry anymore unless you take a bus, there is still plenty of snow in the Arc 2000 bowl and even down to the mid- station of the Transarc.

For anyone coming out this weekend, if you follow the sun and plan where you go, the snow gives you typical spring conditions throughout the day. The morning starts hard, firm, icy and boiler plate in most places, but the re-frozen snow quickly softens on lower pistes and even some off piste areas are now very pleasant. However take care as heavy slush takes over lower down later in the day.

Higher up if you give the sun time to do it's work you will find spring snow 'on and off piste' in the Grand Col and Aiguille Rouge areas as late as 4.30pm. The lift queues in some places are busy, but I have known worse during Easter week. The Boarder Cross and Big Air Bag in Arc 2000 are open and fun.

For anyone coming out this weekend you should still find places worth going as long as you do not expect to have access to the whole domain. The link to La Plagne will be closed shortly, but until then you must now use free buses to reach Peisey from the rest of Les Arcs. Have a good week.

In other words most of it's shut!

I shall try to add some photos of what we have been doing in the last few weeks shortly in my facebook group page (link below), so pop back from time to time and take a look if you are interested.

Hope you all had the chance to eat plenty of Easter Eggs today. They were even giving some out for free in the stations. After all, they need to do something to keep everyone happy.

The winter is finally coming to an end. Although a little snow/rain has fallen this evening, it is warm and spring has really arrived. Yesterday I had an easy day around the Arc 2000 bowl. Managed a few runs off piste from the top of Aiguille Rouge down the couloirs and Petit North Face. Even the top half of the Grand Col and the middle ridge of the bowl gave some good spring snow in places. However you cannot get down to Arc 1950 anymore without walking the last few metres. You have to walk to reach the Arc 2000 station and you must cut off early from the Robert Blanc area to avoid walking at the end of the Flying Km piste.

I hope all those that drove home yesterday had a good journey. See you all again next season.

Today I decided it was time to get the skins out and go high. Quite a change in the conditions, but still places to find good spring snow. Thought I would have a go at Mont Pourri, but when I got on the mountain above the Grand Col the weather conditions did not look that stable and I did not fancy being caught up there on my own in a storm so changed my mind and came back down. But it was fun looking down on the ski area below even if I did not get that far. I shall give it a go in a few days after the weather settles again.

Instead I went marmot searching. To get up close and take photos (at least with my camera) you have to go off piste. After a faulty start I had success. Found some on the ridge down the middle of the Arc 2000 bowl, in the Grand Col area and even on Aiguille Rouge. Managed to repeat some of the routes I made yesterday, there is still good spring snow about if you make an effort.

The bad news is that as well as having to walk into Arc 1950 and 2000. You must also walk when going down to the Marmotte Chair and approaching the Bulle cafe. However you can still get back to the mid-station of the Transarc without walking which was good.

Altogether, the conditions are deteriorating very quickly and with the rain tonight (maybe snow higher up), I hope they can keep the lifts and pistes open till the end of the week.

Going over to La Plagne tomorrow maybe. Another update soon.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134900026541300&v=photos

Hi again folks. For all those that have just left, sorry to say we had fresh powder today, about 5cm on the Bellecote in La Plagne. Managed to spend most of the morning doing short couloirs. Became warm and had to stop by 2pm for a picnic lunch. Only a few days left, but it looks like it will be a better finish than we had expected.

The routes today started with the Hidden Valley run in untracked spring snow with a little walk to the lift. By the time we got back to the top of Roche de Mio the Bellecote Gondola had opened. Managed two different routes down the Cemagref Couloir followed by the couloir near the Gondola. Then onto the Telegraph Couloir and Table Couloir. Finishing with the Roc couloir. All were untracked and except for the last one, were in great condition. Not a bad day for the end of season!!

Hope to do more tomorrow depending on the weather.

I envy your enthusiasm:). Couldn't make myself to go once since Friday. I saw people skiing in resort but to be honest their efforts look a bit desperate. Even that there was some fresh stuff Monday afternoon at 3300m I doubt it's worth putting on the gear and going up. Having said that we are heading to Saas-Fee tomorrow morning: they had descent snow this season, so will have one last day skiing before stopping for the summer. Planning to start doing some ski touring next season, which should bring more possibilities for skiing at this time of the year.

Tomorrow morning will be my last live feed from the mountains for this season. Hope you have enjoyed them and found the info helpful.

Today on the mountain, well only a short one really. Was not as good as yesterday, the temps were not kind to the snow overnight and that ment the hoped for spring snow conditions were nothing nearly as good as yesterday. The snow was rather frozen and then rapidly went soft and slushy. Still better than nothing, but there are many bare patches about and unless you go high, it really is the end of the season.

Hoped to go on Mont Pourri again today, but with another storm forecast thought better of it. Clouded over by early afternoon, much more than forecast and we are just starting to get a few rain drops. Hope this will bring more snow tonight.

Having a couple of days off now, but hope to make one more visit to the mountains at the weekend for one last blast in fresh snow (I hope!!).